Try substituting ground chicken or minced shrimp as a variation. They freeze well, so be sure to double the recipe to make more.

Ingredients

1package (about 30) thin round dumpling wrappers

1/2pound ground pork

3cups minced Napa cabbage

8 shiitake mushrooms, dried, reconstituted, steamed and minced

3green onions, minced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1tablespoon light soy sauce

1teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1tablespoon cornstarch

1teaspoon salt

1/8teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4cup canola oil

Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce:

1teaspoon minced green onions

1teaspoon minced red chilis

3tablespoons light soy sauce

2tablespoons black or rice vinegar

1/2teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/4teaspoon sugar

1teaspoon warm water

Instructions

For the filling, place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Set the cabbage aside for 20 minutes to let the salt leach excess water from the cabbage.

For the dipping sauce, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, water, sugar, and green onions in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.

In a large bowl, combine the pork, mushrooms, green onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and white pepper and mix well. Use your hands to squeeze all the water out of the cabbage. Discard the excess water, add cabbage to pork filling and mix until well combined.

To make the dumplings, place the dumpling wrapper on your palm, brush around the edge and fill the center with a heaping tablespoon of pork filling. Fold the wrapper in half to form a half moon. Use your thumb and index finger of one hand to gold 4 to 5 pleats across the back side of the dumpling, pressing the edges together to seal the dumpling. Gently curve the dumpling so that it sits up when placed on a flat surface. Place the finished dumplings on a baking sheet lightly dusted with cornstarch and cover with a damp towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. NOTE: To serve at a later date, freeze the dumplings in a single layer until they are hard and then transfer to a sealable plastic bag. Steam the dumplings directly from the freezer for 10 minutes.

To cook the dumplings, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the hot pan. Place 8 to 10 dumplings in the pan and brown the bottoms until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan, cover with a lid and steam until all the water evaporates, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the cooked dumplings to a warmed platter and cover with foil. Cook the remaining dumplings and serve warm with the ginger-soy dipping sauce.